By Steve Chirombo

Dedza, March 20, Mana: Dedza District Council Project Facilitator for the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Program (CS-EPWP), Jocaster Mnemba Khoriyo, has urged the program’s participants to actively take part in community contribution activities.

According to Khoriyo, having worked for 30 paying days, participants are allocated another 10 day period where they do community work in order to improve their communities.

The work includes community road maintenance, manure making as well as maintaining some small bridges, among others.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) during the fourth phase of the pay parade at Kalungama Catchment in Senior Chief Kachindamoto, Khoriyo said people need to proceed with contribution works and not relax because they are done with the allocated 30 days.

“In normal circumstances, apart from the 30 days working (paying period), we have another 10 days that communities do community contribution and community leaders play a crucial role in community mobilization.

“So, let us not be crooks on this one probably because the paying working period is over but rather be active in contributing to the development of our communities,” she said.

She said, from experience, community contribution works have been positive to the areas.

Khoriyo said the work does not limit anyone, as everyone is encouraged to take part in that particular area.

She, therefore, encouraged community members to remember that there are trees in their catchments and they need to always take care of them for their survival as a way of enhancing the environment.

Dedza district has 21,411 participants in all the 24 catchments.

CS-EPWP is one of the components of the Social Support for Resilience Livelihoods Project (SSRLP) being implemented by the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) with funding from the World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund.